Jimmy Butler surprised the NBA world with his post-game comment about his lack of joy on the court for the Miami Heat.

He went a step further, claiming that he “probably couldn’t” get his luck back with the Heat. This took social media by surprise, but the same can’t seem to be said about his star teammate Tyler Herro. The former Sixth Man of the Year was asked if he was surprised by Butler’s comment after the game.

“Not really,” Herro began. “We’re all trying to find joy in (basketball) at the same time, so we’ll see.”

“I have no idea,” Herro said regarding how the team should involve Butler more in the offense. “I’m not the coach.”

It’s safe to say that emotions in the Heat’s locker room are at a season high and the trade deadline is sure to be a chaotic time for team president Pat Riley and the front office.

HEAT VS PACERS TAKEAWAYS

1. Which local dish?

In hindsight, the Heat’s disappointing win over the Pelicans on Wednesday was perhaps a sign of things to come. Miami didn’t overwhelm or dominate a dismal New Orleans team the way you’d expect a healthy Heat team to, especially at home.

Indiana led 38-25 at the end of the first quarter and ended any hopes of a Heat comeback with a 41-point third quarter score. Tyrese Haliburton scored 33 points and added 15 assists, making Miami’s defense look lost.

The Heat have been up and down all season. It appears that the same problems that plagued them in the final months of 2024 are continuing into the first days of 2025.

2. Jimmy Butler stays quiet…too quiet

Butler scored nine points on just five shots Wednesday night, his first game since Dec. 20. It was easy to write off the quiet performance and 25-minute absence as the Heat returned him to action after a five-game absence.

So much for that idea. Butler recorded nine points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals on Thursday night; Indiana outscored Miami by 27 points when Butler was on the court.

The most concerning thing is that Butler fired six shots. Arguably the Heat’s second-best player, he has taken just 11 shots in his last two games. This is a huge problem and one that the Heat will have to deal with if they want to keep Butler until the end of the season.

3. Bam is back! Perhaps

After more than two months of offensive regression, the old Bam Adebayo could finally be back. Adebayo scored 20 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes on Thursday night.

Most importantly, Adebayo hit eight of his 12 shots; The three-time All-Star has made 17 of his last 26 shots, an important feat given his ongoing shooting issues. On a night with little positive for the Heat, they can at least be encouraged about Adebayo’s offense.

MORE HEAT NEWS

Heat were named one of the most talked-about destinations for an All-Star worth $163 million

Former teammate of Jimmy Butler reveals Heat’s must-have move ahead of trade deadline

Anthony Pasciolla is a writer for Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.